Shopping for beef, pork or chicken? Be prepared to spend a little extra than you have in the past.The prices of all three have gone up during the pandemic, particularly in the last few weeks. "I haven't really paid that much attention to the meat prices, but if you do watch the news at all, you do know that there is a surge in the prices across the board for a lot of commodities," said 12-year Avril & Bleh customer Jim Whalen.According to new consumer inflation data report from the Labor Department, beef prices alone jumped 12.2% over the last year. Pork prices jumped 9.8% in the last year, and chicken prices jumped 7.2%"Actually the past two to three months have been awful," said Main Street Market owner Christina Busch.Busch's family has been in the meat business for decades, and they say right now is the worst inflation they've seen with prices from suppliers steadily going up each week."Usually, you know, it'll fluctuate a few cents every week, whether it go up, whether it go down a few cents, but the past two to three months, it has done nothing but go up, and it hasn't been by sense, it's been by dollars," Busch said.The Biden administration believes a handful of big meatpacking companies like Tyson Foods and JBS USA, which control most of the country's supply, are making the market less competitive. In July, the president signed a new executive order to promote competition in the economy as a whole. Market owners say they welcome any kind of help to keep them off the chopping block. "I don't know how much longer we're going to be able to last if prices keep rising, because I know people aren't going to want to spend $25-plus on the steak — there's just there's no way," Busch said.The administration is setting aside $500 million to help supply new meat processors to compete with the big four.The justice department is also investigating alleged price-fixing in the chicken market.
Shopping for beef, pork or chicken? Be prepared to spend a little extra than you have in the past.
The prices of all three have gone up during the pandemic, particularly in the last few weeks.
"I haven't really paid that much attention to the meat prices, but if you do watch the news at all, you do know that there is a surge in the prices across the board for a lot of commodities," said 12-year Avril & Bleh customer Jim Whalen.
According to new consumer inflation data report from the Labor Department, beef prices alone jumped 12.2% over the last year. Pork prices jumped 9.8% in the last year, and chicken prices jumped 7.2%
"Actually the past two to three months have been awful," said Main Street Market owner Christina Busch.
Busch's family has been in the meat business for decades, and they say right now is the worst inflation they've seen with prices from suppliers steadily going up each week.
"Usually, you know, it'll fluctuate a few cents every week, whether it go up, whether it go down a few cents, but the past two to three months, it has done nothing but go up, and it hasn't been by sense, it's been by dollars," Busch said.
The Biden administration believes a handful of big meatpacking companies like Tyson Foods and JBS USA, which control most of the country's supply, are making the market less competitive.
In July, the president signed a new executive order to promote competition in the economy as a whole.
Market owners say they welcome any kind of help to keep them off the chopping block.
"I don't know how much longer we're going to be able to last if prices keep rising, because I know people aren't going to want to spend $25-plus on the steak — there's just there's no way," Busch said.
The administration is setting aside $500 million to help supply new meat processors to compete with the big four.
The justice department is also investigating alleged price-fixing in the chicken market.
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